


Test of Courage

by tatertotarmy



Category: Tales of Berseria, Tales of Series, Tales of Vesperia
Genre: After School Heroes - A Tales of Zine, Alternate Universe - School, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 15:56:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17206397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tatertotarmy/pseuds/tatertotarmy
Summary: After a challenge by his classmates, Karol sets out to the woods behind school to look for a monster rumored to be lurking there...Written for After School Heroes, a digital charity Tales Series Zine.





	Test of Courage

It took Karol five minutes to realize he made a terrible mistake.

He stood rigid, his back pressed up to the trunk of a tree, heart pounding loud in his ears. The heavy bag slung over his shoulder felt heavier than usual, like it was an anchor weighing him down. Held tightly in his arms was a thick, well-loved book. Though the cover was a familiar sight to him – a painted depiction of an eggbear, the Mothman, and countless other mythical creatures – he couldn’t bear to look at it now.

Part of him desperately wanted to give up and go back. He couldn’t do this. Monsters and other creatures were way out of his league! If he couldn’t get two steps into the woods, then what was he going to do in front of an actual monster?

But then again…if he went back…

_“You’re just a huge liar, Karol, and everyone knows it!”_

_Karol froze, looking up from an open book sprawled out on his desk, several other kids gathered around it. The chatter of a class on lunch died out, all eyes focusing on Anise, who had a finger pointed directly at him._

_“W…What do you mean?” he asked._

_“All those stories you tell are total crap!” Anise groaned, leaning back against her desk, “It’s so annoying.”_

_The stories had become a daily ritual for Karol. Every night, he would read up on a monster in his favorite book, ‘The Complete Compendium of Creepy Creatures,’ and he would tell anyone who would listen about them during lunch. And while most kids just ignored him, he usually had a regular audience._

_“I don’t think they’re annoying…” Laphicet muttered beneath his breath, shifting awkwardly in his stance with his eyes on the floor, not one for confrontation._

_“I think they’re interesting,” Elize added, a little louder with a pointed look at Anise._

_Anise rolled her eyes, “Even the parts about him seeing the monsters? Everyone knows that they aren’t real! Karol is just faking it!”_

_“N-No I’m not!” Karol stood up from his desk, trying to look tough but failing miserably._

_“Really? Then how did you see an eggbear, Karol? Hm? Just where is it?” Anise asked mockingly._

_“T-That’s…”_

_“Anise, that’s enough,” Elize glared at the other girl, standing partially in front of Karol, “You’re just being mean.”_

_“I’m not being mean. I’m just telling the truth.”_

_“But I have seen them!” Karol spoke up again, “You just have to believe me!”_

_“Like hell I will.”_

_Several gasps filled the room. She used the ‘H’ word._

_“Hey! B-But…I’m not lying!” Karol continued._

_“Then prove it,” Anise crossed her arms._

_“Prove it? How?”_

_Anise pointed towards the window, to the woods behind the school, “I heard some kids saying that there was a monster in the woods. If you find it and prove you found it, then maybe I’ll believe you. So what do you say? You aren’t chicken, are you?”_

Karol sincerely wished he was chicken now.

Maybe if he left the woods now, he could make up some excuse. He forgot his monster gear at home! Yea, that would be a great excuse! Then he would have an extra day to plan. They had to give him an extra day!

Right as Karol went to take the first step, he heard a combination of footsteps and voices. Immediately, his back pressed closer to the tree trunk, one hand reaching up to cover his mouth.

“Can’t believe I got stuck on hooky duty. Can’t they just let kids run ‘round like how ol’ Raven used ta?”

“I’m not sure how your childhood was, Mr. Raven, but we have a duty to attend to. Please act professionally.”

“Yer always so serious, Raine.”

“That’s Professor Sage to you.”

“Ouch! Ice cold! Ol’ Raven can’t take this kinda treatment.”

Karol started to panic. Teachers were out here! What would happen if he got in trouble? He hadn’t been in trouble before! He heard that if he got in trouble, they’d put it on his permanent record and then everyone would know it for the rest of his life! He couldn’t let that happen!

He knew he had to get out of there, but he was too scared to move. What if they heard him? 

Several moments passed, and the voices began to fade away. In the direction of the school. Where he just came from.

Karol couldn’t go back. They would totally catch him as soon as he got close enough to the school! He was beginning to breathe fast. Oh no…his life was practically over now! He was trapped in the forest where a monster was supposed to be, and there were teachers out here! He should never have come out here!

Maybe…if he confessed now…he would be spared of an even worse fate. 

He took a hesitant step away from the tree.

There was a rustle in the bushes.

Karol yelped in fright, covering his mouth soon after as he backed up in the opposite direction, wide eyes glued to the bushes. 

Out popped…a bunny.

A sigh left him. A bunny? That was a new low even for him. He brushed through his hair with his fingers. Jeez…

Another rustle started up right behind him.

“A-Ah!” Karol yelled, before sprinting in another direction.

However, just before he got too far, he felt a tug on his bag, forcing him to a complete halt. Karol went to scream for help, only for a hand to go right over his mouth.

“Shh! You want us to get caught?” 

A hushed voice spoke between gritted teeth. Karol struggled a little bit more under the person’s grasp, until he finally wiggled out. 

And he turned around…to see half of a face of black and red, partially concealed by choppy black hair. One eye cursed with a black sclera with a red point in the center where the pupil should have been. Furrowed eyebrows that looked irritated, angry.

“A…A monster!” Karol hissed beneath his breath, holding up his book like it would protect him from the creature.

“A…what?” the monster spoke in disbelief, “Hey kid, would you like lookin’ a little bit closer?”

Karol shook his head, taking several steps back.

“I’m not a monster. Would a monster be hidin’ from teachers like you?”

“M-Maybe you’re trying to trick me.”

“Sure. A mighty monster wants to trick kids instead of killin’ them. What kind of stuff is even in this book here?”

Karol’s book was ripped out of his hands, and he looked up in absolute shock as the monster in front of him just started flipping through the book without a care in the world.

“Eggbears, really?” the monster spoke, chuckling, “I think the mothman’s more believable than that.”

Karol took in a sharp breath to protest, but then started getting a better look at the monster in front of him. Aside from the weird markings on the guy’s face – and the weird eye – this monster looked like…an older student. He looked like he might even be in the upper classes. He was taller, with messy black hair tied into a ponytail. He wore the school uniform of the upperclassmen, too.

A few moments passed before the guy looked back down at Karol, “You finally calm down? Alright…you okay there? You seemed pretty spooked.”

“W…Who are you? W-What are you doing?” Karol hesitantly asked, ignoring the guy’s question.

“Rokurou Rangetsu, at your service,” the guy flashed a friendly smile before motioning to a spot behind him, “And I’m cutting class. Course, the teachers’ve been absolute pains about it. I think they’re catching on. I have a big kendo competition soon and I need to kick my brother’s ass in it…so kinda wish they’d lay off.”

Karol audibly gasped. He said the ‘A’ word.

“What? You like kendo, or…” Rokurou stopped, quickly realizing something, “Oh hell…uh…yea don’t use curse words, I guess. But anyway, what are you doing out here?”

Despite being positively scandalized about all the swear words, Karol managed to shake it off, “I-I came out here to find a monster.”

“Monster?” Rokurou slowly repeated, “Uh…sorry to rain on your parade. But only monster here is Professor Sage. That woman’s a demon.”

Karol let out a sigh of relief. But then quickly realized something.

“W-Wait, but I need to find a monster!”

“Uh…why?” Rokurou flipped through a few more pages of Karol’s book.

“Anise told me I had to!”

“What, is it a dare?”

“No, she called me a liar,” Karol looked down, his eyebrows furrowed, “And she said I could only prove it if I…came here.”

“Seriously?” Rokurou snorted, “What exactly does that prove?”

“T-That I don’t lie about all the monsters in my book!”

“By walking out here playing hooky?” Rokurou rose an eyebrow, looking over at Karol, “I don’t think she really wanted you to come back with evidence, uh…”

“Karol.”

“Karol,” Rokurou repeated, “Listen. She was just probably trying to rile you up to you’d come out here and get into trouble.”

“B-But…!”

“No buts…” Rokurou paused, before a mischievous grin crossed his lips, “But…how about we pull a fast one on this Anise girl?”

“How?”

“You can spend the rest of the day with me…and you can just mysteriously vanish for the rest of the day. Can just imagine the look on the kid’s face when the guy she sent out is mysteriously…missing?” Rokurou snickered, “What better proof is a kid vanishing after going on a monster hunt? It’ll be priceless!”

“But wouldn’t I get in trouble?”

“You’re already in trouble for being out here,” Rokurou grinned, “Come on. Nothing’ll go wrong.”

A new voice popped in from the bushes.

“Definitely not.”

It was Rokurou’s turn to yell, stumbling forward and turning around, hands held up to shield himself. Karol gasped in absolute horror when he turned and made eye contact with Raven.

“What? Did Ol’ Raven interrupt something?” Raven grinned as he stepped out of the bushes, giving a small wave to Karol, “Fancy seein’ ya here, Karol.”

“R-Raven…” Karol looked absolutely guilty, already feeling his impending death approach. There it is. His life was over.

“God damn it,” Rokurou seethed between his teeth.

“Ya do know cursin’ just makes everythin’ worse, right?” Raven asked in a teasing manner.

“Might as well keep digging the hole, right?” Rokurou put on a grin, though nervousness laced his words.

“Interestin’ plan ya had there,” Raven looked over to Karol, “Honestly didn’t think ya had it in ya, kid.”

“R-Raven…I-I…” Karol swallowed, “I-I’m sorry…?”

Raven waved it off, “I meant that in a good way.”

“You’re just an upstanding role model, Mr. Raven,” Rokurou quipped.

“I mean, I was ‘bout ta let ya off the hook, but sure, keep insulting Ol’ Raven.”

Rokurou froze, looking at Raven slack-jawed, “…What?”

“Listen…” Raven spoke, looking between Rokurou and Karol with a relaxed grin on his face, “Kids gotta have their own fun. Scare the crap outta classmates. Plus, Ol’ Raven thinks it’d be borin’ ta just let the two of ya get caught. As long as it doesn’t become a regular thing, Karol.” 

“O-Of course not!” Karol quickly spoke up.

“Great!” Raven flashed the two of them a cheeky grin, “Now have fun. Feel free to call Ol’ Raven if things go south. Talk to you later, Karol.”

“T-Thank you!” Karol spoke up. 

Raven waved for a second, turning around to look back at Karol.

“An’ I’ll be sure ta play everything up when I get ta yer class,” Raven paused, putting his hand on his head dramatically, “Oh…Karol gettin’ snatched up by who knows what? What coulda led him out there? Or somethin’ like that.” He chuckled, walking off and vanishing into the forest.

For a moment, Karol and Rokurou stood there, speechless.

“Is…is that even allowed? That guy’s askin’ to get fired,” Rokurou ran a hand through his hair, brushing part of his bangs from the black mark on his face before looking at Karol, “So…you ever learn kendo?”

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for After School Heroes, a digital charity zine for the Tales Series! All pieces in the zine are set in a school AU and all pieces were written and drawn by truly talented people! It was an honor to be included beside all of these talented people!
> 
> If you're interested in purchasing the PDF of the zine, you can follow the link below to purchase the zine for $10! All proceeds will go to the Kids in Need Foundation. The zine will only be available until January 31st, 2019, so act fast!
> 
> https://ashtaleszine.bigcartel.com/


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